Nigeria: 214 of 234 girls rescued from Boko Haram are pregnant

Abuja (Nigeria), May 6: Latest reports suggest that another 234 women and children were rescued from the Sambisa Forest in Borno State by the Nigerian Army. Shockingly, 214 of these girls are said to be pregnant.

UNFPA executive director-Prof Babatunde Osotimehin, confirms that the agency had undertaken over 16,000 deliveries in the troubled North East part of the country. These women are reportedly facing psychosocial trauma, some being ostracized by the society and others unable to cope with the change in their body. To combat this problem, UNFPA has engaged Federal and State governments to first restore the dignity of these women.

Osotimehin further said that some of these girls and women needed special set of services that would fecilitate their integration into the society. In fact, some of them underwent extreme stress in captivity, which requires intense counselling.

Citing a positive point, he said most of the families are receptive toward these girls, but what is required is to counsel them to handle their children with sensitivity.

OneIndia News